Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has stated that no Russian heavy weapons were deployed in the area around the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, dismissing Ukrainian authorities' claims that their strikes at the NPP target such weaponry.
"The Ukrainian authorities brazenly lie when they claim that the Russian Armed Forces are shelling Ukrainian troops using long-range artillery systems using important energy facilities as a cover," Shoigu said.
The minister expressed hope that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission, which recently arrived at the plant, will confirm his statements regarding the weapons present at the NPP.
Shoigu strongly condemned the shelling of the NPP by Kiev's forces, noting that such attacks create a real threat of nuclear disaster in Europe. He stated that Ukraine's actions are akin to nuclear terrorism. The minister said that since July 18, Ukrainian forces have shelled the plant 29 times with 120 shells and sent 16 drones to attack the NPP.
"I must underscore that in the event of further provocations, all responsibility for possible emergencies [at the NPP] lies entirely with the Ukrainian authorities," he said.
However, Kiev won't be alone in bearing the responsibility in the case of a nuclear disaster at the Zaporozhye NPP – the US and EU, which are remaining silent about the situation around the plant, embolden Ukrainian troops' provocations, Shoigu said. The minister continued that he hopes that the IAEA mission will inform the international community of the truth about what is really happening at the nuclear plant.
The IAEA mission led by the agency's chief, Rafael Grossi, arrived at the Zaporozhye NPP on September 1 to monitor the situation at the plant, which has been controlled by the Russian military since the first month of the special military operation in Ukraine. The mission will evaluate the integrity of the plant and of its security mechanisms, and, if necessary, take measures to ensure its safe use and functioning.
The nuclear power plant has been suffering shelling from Ukrainian troop positions for nearly two months. Several shells landed near or at the nuclear material storage facility. Moscow has repeatedly called on Kiev to stop the attacks on the plant, warning that any shot may prompt a nuclear disaster with fallout threatening the entire European continent. The Kremlin urged European states to pressure Ukraine into abandoning the dangerous attacks on the NPP.